Menorah Vandalism Hits Park Slope And Prospect Heights Playgrounds; Ceremony And Community Gathering Tonight

After two menorahs were vandalized in area playgrounds, Borough President Eric Adams will be attending a Hanukkah ceremony this evening to “denounce acts of hate attempting to disrupt the holiday season in Brooklyn,” according to a statement released by his office.

The gathering will take place at 5:00pm this evening, Wednesday, December 28, at the Park Slope Playground on Lincoln Place between 5th and 6th Avenues.

In addition to the vandalization of a menorah located at Park Slope Playground, a second instance took place at Underhill Playground in Prospect Heights.

Rabbi Mendy Hecht, director of the Chabad Jewish Center of Prospect Heights, will light the candles to celebrate the fifth night of Hanukkah.

Other local menorahs such as the Largest Menorah ceremony at Grand Army Plaza as well as the 5th Avenue menorah located outside of J.J. Byrne Park have not experienced any vandalism.

Other recent incidents involving Islamophobic and anti-Semitic acts have occurred throughout Brooklyn.

Two threatening events took place in Fort Greene Park during October, including a noose which was found hanging from a tree as well as anti-Semitic graffiti discovered on a tree stump.

“We will not tolerate acts of hatred,” said City Council Member Brad Lander when he and more than 30 neighbors gathered at a solidarity rally outside the subway station where Islamophobic graffiti littered the Fort Hamilton Parkway F/G train platform in early December.

An anti-hate rally was held in November at Adam Yauch Park in Brooklyn Heights after swastikas and a “Go Trump” message were found sloppily spray-painted at the playground.

If you become aware of other incidents in your neighborhood or other areas of Brooklyn, please contact us at editor@bklyner.com.